1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication-terminal management system and a communication terminal, and, in particular, to a communication-terminal management system having a storage-processing-system network, a real-time-processing-system network, a communication terminal which acts as a terminal of these two networks, and a communication management node of the real-time-processing-system network, and to the communication terminal which is a part of this system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Management of a network interface portion of a complex communication terminal apparatus acting as a terminal of-a storage-processing-system network and a real-time-processing-system network in the related art (for example, setting of an operation environment of a LAN interface board, modem and so forth of a personal computer) is performed in accordance with instructions or the like supplied from a central processing unit (CPU) of the complex communication terminal apparatus. Accordingly, in order to perform complete management, both the CPU and the interface board need to operate. For this purpose, it is necessary to supply power to both the CPU and the interface board and to enable communication therebetween.
In many cases, a personal computer is used as such a complex communication terminal apparatus. When this personal computer is used for telephone calling via a telephone network, a node (for example, a private branch exchange (PBX) or the like) of the telephone network to which the personal computer belongs sets terminal environment information (such as a dial-signal type, function-button information and so forth) for personal computers belonging to the node. In response thereto, on the side of the personal computer, because communication cannot be performed without matching with the terminal environment information set by the node for the personal computer, it is necessary to study the terminal environment information set for the personal computer and to perform setting into a network interface portion of the personal computer such that the thus-set data of the network interface portion matches with the terminal environment information. Such setting into the network interface portion is performed manually (through instructions) on the personal computer which contains the network interface portion. Thus, double setting is needed, i.e, setting into the node and the setting into the personal computer.
Further, in management of a communication history, trouble information and so forth, a storage-device resource such as a memory/hard disk of the complex communication terminal apparatus is used. Therefore, when power supply to the complex communication terminal apparatus comes to be suddenly absent, a writing error of such information, or a fault of such a storage device due to a crash or the like may occur so that the communication history, trouble information and so forth is lost in many cases.
Thus, there are the following problems in the related art:
(1) It is necessary to perform setting in the complex communication terminal apparatus so as to perform setting into the network interface portion contained in the complex communication terminal apparatus after a main power supply to the complex communication terminal apparatus is started. Such setting should be performed such that set data in the network interface portion of the complex communication terminal apparatus matches with set data in the communication management node in the network. Thus, a similar setting is needed to be performed in both the complex communication terminal apparatus and communication management node. Thus, the setting is troublesome. In proportion to an increased number of the complex communication terminal apparatuses, a load to be borne by a communication manager comes to be enormous.
(2) In a case where communication history information, management information and so forth is stored in a hard disk or a memory of the complex communication terminal apparatus, when the main power supply to the complex communication terminal apparatus is absent, it is not possible to read the communication history information, management information and so forth from the hard disk or memory. As a result, there may be a case where trouble information concerning a serious trouble cannot be obtained.
The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to simplify the management of the complex communication terminal apparatus and to improve the efficiency of maintenance work for the complex communication terminal apparatus.
A complex-communication-terminal-apparatus management system, according to the present invention, comprises:
a storage-processing-system network 102;
a real-time-processing-system network 101;
a complex communication terminal apparatus 103 acting as a terminal of the two networks; and
a real-time-processing-system-network communication management node 104,
wherein the communication management node checks a condition of the complex communication terminal apparatus when the complex communication terminal apparatus is connected with the real-time-processing-system network, selects and generates control software and setting information data in accordance with the condition of the complex communication terminal apparatus, and downloads the control software and setting information data into the complex communication terminal apparatus via the real-time-processing-system network, so that the complex communication terminal apparatus acts as a terminal in the real-time-processing-system network.
In this arrangement, the communication management node checks a condition of the complex communication terminal apparatus when the complex communication terminal apparatus is connected with the real-time-processing-system network, selects and generates control software and setting information data in accordance with the condition of the complex communication terminal apparatus, and downloads the control software and setting information data into the complex communication terminal apparatus via the real-time-processing-system network, so that the complex communication terminal apparatus acts as a terminal in the real-time-processing-system network. As a result, management of the complex communication terminal apparatus in the networks can be simplified, and also, the efficiency of a maintenance work of the complex communication terminal can be improved.
A complex communication terminal apparatus 103, according to another aspect of the present invention, acts as a terminal of a storage-processing-system network 102 and a real-time-processing-system network 101, has power supplied thereto from any one of a plurality of power sources, and comprises a power supply detecting circuit 10311 and a power source switching circuit 10312, wherein the power source switching circuit switches a power source to be used from one to another among the plurality of power sources in accordance with a previously set priority order when the power supply detecting circuit detects absence of power supply of a power source which has been used.
In this arrangement, the plurality of power sources are provided, and the power source switching circuit switches a power source to be used from one to another among the plurality of power sources in accordance with a previously set priority order when the power supply detecting circuit detects absence of power supply of a power source which has been used. As a result, power supply can be continued.
A complex communication terminal apparatus, according to another aspect of the present invention, acts as a terminal of a real-time-processing-system network 101 and a storage-processing-system network 102, comprises a real-time-processing-system-network access interface device 1031 acting as an interface with the real-time-processing-system network, wherein:
the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device receives power from any one of a main power source 1036 of the complex communication terminal apparatus, an internal power source 10313 of the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device and a power supply 10319 of the real-time-processing-system network; and
the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device receives power from one of the internal power source and the real-time-processing-system network when power supply of the main power source of the complex communication terminal apparatus is absent.
In this arrangement, the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device receives power from any one of a main power source of the complex communication terminal apparatus, an internal power source of the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device and the real-time-processing-system network; and the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device receives power from one of the internal power source and the real-time-processing-system network when power supply of the main power source of the complex communication terminal apparatus is absent. As a result, the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device can have power supplied thereto continuously.
A complex communication terminal apparatus 103, according to another aspect of the present invention, acts as a terminal of a real-time-processing-system network 101 and a storage-processing-system network 102, comprises a complex communication terminal apparatus body, a storage-processing-system-network access interface device 1032 acting as an interface with the storage-processing-system network and a real-time-processing-system-network access interface device 1031 acting as an interface with the real-time-processing-system network, wherein:
the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device receives power from any one of a main power source 1036 of the complex communication terminal apparatus, an internal power source 10313 of the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device and a power supply 10319 of the real-time-processing-system network; and
only the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device receives power from one of the internal power source and the real-time-processing-system network when trouble occurs in the complex communication terminal apparatus body, thereby communication by the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device being enabled.
In this arrangement, the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device receives power from any one of a main power source 1036 of the complex communication terminal apparatus, an internal power source 10313 of the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device and a power supply 10319 of the real-time-processing-system network; and only the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device receives power from one of the internal power source and the real-time-processing-system network when trouble occurs in the complex communication terminal apparatus body, thereby communication by the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device being enabled. As a result, even when trouble occurs in the central processing unit of the complex communication terminal apparatus body, communication can be continued.
The real-time-processing-system-network access interface device 1031 may have an emergency control device 10317 externally provided thereto; and
when trouble occurs in the complex communication terminal apparatus body 1030, power may be supplied to the emergency control device, and switching may be performed such that the emergency control device performs a communication control function instead of the complex communication terminal apparatus, thereby communication by the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device being continued.
Thereby, even when trouble occurs in the central processing unit of the complex communication terminal apparatus body, communication can be continued.
The real-time-processing-system-network access interface device 1031 may comprise a recording medium 10316; and
the recording medium may have at least one of a history of at least one of communication and control in the complex communication terminal apparatus and a history of power supply in the complex communication terminal apparatus stored therein.
In this arrangement, the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device 1031 comprises a recording medium 10316, in addition to a recording medium provided in a complex communication terminal apparatus body; and the recording medium has at least one of a history of at least one of communication and control in the complex communication terminal apparatus and a history of power supply in the complex communication terminal apparatus stored therein. As a result, the history can be stored twice.
The real-time-processing-system-network access interface device 1031 may comprise a device control portion 10315 which controls the recording medium, the device control portion allowing access to the recording medium by one of another complex communication terminal apparatus 103xe2x80x2 and a real-time-processing-system-network communication management node 104 in response to a request from the one of the another complex communication terminal apparatus and the real-time-processing-system-network communication management node.
In this arrangement, the device control portion allows access to the recording medium by one of another complex communication terminal apparatus 103xe2x80x2 and a real-time-processing-system-network communication management node 104 in response to a request from the one of the another complex communication terminal apparatus and the real-time-processing-system-network communication management node. Thereby, even when absence of power supply occurs in the complex communication terminal apparatus body or trouble occurs in the central processing unit, at least one of the history of at least one of communication and control in the complex communication terminal apparatus and the history of power supply in the complex communication terminal apparatus, which has been stored in the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device individually, can be provided to the external apparatus or node. Further, by analyzing the history, the cause of the absence of power supply occurring in the complex communication terminal apparatus body or the trouble occurring in the central processing unit can be made to be clear.
The complex communication terminal apparatus 103 may contain the central processing unit 1033 and the real-time-processing-system-network access interface device 1031 may contain the device control portion 10315 which controls the recording medium, the device control portion outputting at least one of the history of at least one of communication and control in the complex communication terminal apparatus and the history of power supply in the complex communication terminal apparatus to one of another complex communication terminal apparatus and the real-time-processing-system-network communication management node in response to instructions given by one of the central processing unit and the device control portion.
In this arrangement, the device control portion outputs at least one of the history of at least one of communication and control in the complex communication terminal apparatus and the history of power supply in the complex communication terminal apparatus to one of another complex communication terminal apparatus and the real-time-processing-system-network communication management node in response to instructions given by one of the central processing unit and the device control portion. Thereby, it is possible to provide at least one of the history of at least one of communication and control in the complex communication terminal apparatus and the history of power supply in the complex communication terminal apparatus to the external apparatus or node when it is necessary or periodically.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed descriptions when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.